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Today I am discussing three bombed-out beauties that could be poised for a sharp snapback.
Luxury handbag and raincoat play Burberry (LSE: BRBY) has long been battered by concerns over demand from hot growth market China. Although sales in the mainland continued to climb steadily during April-June, activity in the critical Hong Kong market continues to deteriorate and revenues declined by double-digit percentages during the quarter.
It therefore comes as little surprise that intensifying fears over the Chinese economy sent Burberry’s shares tumbling during the past month, and the designer is now trading at a 13% discount to levels seen at the start of August. But I believe this represents a very decent entry point.
Underlying retail revenues advanced 8% during the first quarter to £407m due to strong sales growth across the globe. And I expect revenues to keep on surging — Burberry’s store restructuring programme has seen it open shiny new outlets in New York, Dubai and London in recent months, while an improved online proposition helped mobile sales triple during the first quarter.
These measures are expected to push earnings marginally higher in the year ending March 2016 before fuelling a 10% charge in 2017, pushing a P/E ratio of 17.9 times for this year to a very respectable 16.3 times for 2017. I reckon this is a snip for a company with such strong growth prospects. And dividend yields of 2.7% for 2015 and 3% for 2016 sweeten the investment case.
Shares in banking giant Santander (LSE: BNC) have moved steadily lower during the summer, and the stock has shed 11% of its value since the start of August alone. But with the stock currently flailing around multi-year lows I reckon this provides a brilliant buying opportunity — the firm continues to benefit from improving economic strength in established territories UK and North America, while its Latin American presence promises rich returns in the years ahead.
Santander saw ordinary attributable profit improve 23% during January-June, to €3.43bn, and the bank saw profit at its three biggest markets of the UK, Brazil and Spain explode during the period — indeed, the bottom line increased by 33% in its British and Brazilian units, while Spanish profits leapt by an eye-watering 50%.
Not surprisingly the City expects Santander’s growth story to keep on trucking, and earnings are expected to expand by 8% and 11% in 2015 and 2016 correspondingly. These figures produce P/E multiples of 10.3 times for 2015 and 9.3 times for next year — any reading around or below 10 times is widely considered too good to pass up on. On top of this, Santander has planned to pay a dividend of 20 euro cents per share for 2015, carrying a tasty yield of 3.5%. And I expect payouts to chug comfortably higher looking ahead.
Diversified engineer GKN (LSE: GKN) has been one of the major casualties of the summer, and an 11% stock price decline during the past four weeks has extended the poor run that kicked off at the start of the sunny period — the business has fallen 23% since the start of June to touch levels not seen for almost two-and-a-half years.
Sure, concerns over the faltering Chinese economy on global auto sales is bound to have an effect on investor appetite, but I believe GKN’s ability to grow ahead of the broader car market remains overlooked — indeed, Driveline saw organic revenues rise 4% during January-June thanks to the firm’s increased content per vehicle. On top of this, the engineer’s top-tier supplier status to the world’s biggest planebuilders should help it to hurdle current problems at its Aerospace division and punch long-term sales growth as aircraft demand ticks steadily higher.
Current problems at its plane parts and Agriculture divisions are expected to drive earnings 10% lower in 2015, although a 9% bounceback is expected in 2016. As a result GKN sports mega-cheap P/E ratios of 10.8 times for this year and 10 times for 2016. On top of this, predicted dividends of 8.8p per share for 2015 and 9.5p for the following period produce decent yields of 3% and 3.2% correspondingly. I reckon GKN is a great pick for more patient investors.
Royston Wild owns shares of GKN. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of GKN. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Burberry. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.


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MIAMI, FL - 08/29/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)
Inc. magazine's September edition available on news stands last week ranked Miami based Rafael Marrero & Company No. 350 on its 35th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.
The Honoree’s Founding President and CEO, Rafael Marrero said: “Our exponential growth is directly attributable to the hard work of our talented team and its focus on helping other women, veteran and minority owned firms succeed and thrive in the federal government marketplace. We’re not just Miami’s leading B2G management consultancy. We are now also recognized as one of the leading and fastest-growing private companies in America.”
The 2016 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 23) is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 433%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $200 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 640,000 jobs over the past three years, or about 8% of all jobs created in the entire economy during that period. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
“The Inc. 5000 list stands out where it really counts,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “It honors real achievement by a founder or a team of them. No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building something great – usually from scratch. That’s one of the hardest things to do in business, as every company founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails.”
The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 18 through 20, in San Antonio, TX.
About Rafael Marrero & Company
Rafael Marrero & Company is a full scope business-to-government (B2G) management consultancy focused on helping small businesses “get their ducks in a row” via services aimed to help them successfully break into the Federal Government Market.
Our value proposition:
For more information, visit https://www.rafaelmarrero.com.
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|phone||Phone Number:||888-595-6221 Ext. 700|
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Looking for a puckered pair of ruby-red lips in loveseat form?
While it's an unusual item, it's exactly the type of furniture that draws customers to Relove Furniture in Chinatown. The curated vintage store offers a range of chic housewares and quirky designs that you'd be hard-pressed to find at commercial retailers.
But acquiring these eccentric items involves a bit of risk.
Owner Liliana Faisca tells V.I.A. that she's hunted for unique treasures to sell at her store for three-and-a-half years, utilizing a range of private seller platforms including Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
And while she's never had an issue buying an item online in the past, a recent experience with a private seller has made her more cautious moving forward.
In mid-February, the Vancouver business owner came across a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for a loveseat shaped like a pair of puckered lips and a life-size porcelain leopard -- two items that were high on her bucket list.
"I don't consider myself a gullible person," she explains, adding that the seller didn't give any indication that they were untrustworthy.
"In my three years of doing this, I never would have thought that this person was a scammer."
Faisca has picked up on online scams in the past, noting that fraudsters are typically "quick to respond" with short answers. "They get straight to the point," she emphasizes.
Vancouver business owner says scammer was "so conversational"
In this instance, the seller was "so conversational" and made a few jokes. They even advised her to bring someone with her when she was picking up the loveseat because it would be difficult to maneuver by herself.
"If I were to have thought it was a scam I would never think that somebody would be giving me such detail."
Faisca has made a practice of giving online sellers a cash deposit for items that she plans to buy. Since there is so much competition for certain pieces, buyers who don't offer to put one down run the risk of being looked over.
While her bank determined that the transaction was fraud-related and returned her $100 deposit, the Vancouver woman hopes sharing her story will prevent other people from getting scammed.
She added that numerous people have contacted her sharing a similar story and that she has noticed multiple accounts "popping up" on the social media platform under similar names.
But Vancouver lawyer Kyla Lee says people should never provide money to online sellers before meeting them. And when they do meet them, it should be in a public place, preferably outside of a police station.
"If you are a victim of fraud, report it to the police," she underscores. "Getting a file created and putting that information in the hands of the police may assist other people because it will allow police to know where to look for fraudulent activity and what to monitor."
Police are engaged in active monitoring of places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Kijiji looking for fraudsters and scammers. So identifying who might be a potential fraudster for them can help other people avoid getting scammed in the future, Lee adds.
"Police stations have also made themselves open to allow individuals to meet in the lobby to exchange and do transactions from internet sites like Facebook marketplace. So always ask to meet in the lobby or outside of a police station where the person is going to be recorded and where the police are right there if something does go wrong."
In Vancouver, a recent string of in-person meet-ups between private sellers resulted in violent robberies, prompting the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) to warn locals to remain cautious when arranging buy/sell meetings on the internet.
Red flags when buying online from a private seller
Even before arranging an in-person transaction, there are several ways to tell if an online listing is a scam.
Several red flags, as listed by Consumer Protection BC, are:
- Many spelling and grammatical errors
- Generic product photos rather than real photos
- Being asked to wire the payment (a common indication of a scam)
- Pressure to make a quick decision
- A last minute change of plans
- An offer that seems too good to be true
The agency also recommends several tips for staying safe when moving forward with a transaction:
- Don't give out personal or financial information
- Don't pay before you see the product (including e-transfer)
- Ask questions about the product
- Research the seller and find out about their track record via third-party sales websites (like Craigslist)
- Inspect and test the item before you buy it
- Meet in a public location and bring a friend
- Trust your gut
With files from Maria Diment.


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After Roku issued “frankly horrific” guidance, as one analyst put it, Wall Street appears to be backing away from the stock.
While Roku beat third-quarter expectations Thursday, the company issued fourth-quarter guidance below expectations in what is usually the strongest advertising quarter for the stock. Shares of Roku were down 5 percent during midday trading Thursday.
“Companies are pulling back their ad budgets because they’re uncertain if there’ll be a recession or not, and so a lot of Q4 ad campaigns are being canceled,” Roku CEO Anthony Wood explained during the company’s earnings call.
Pivotal Research Group, which called the fourth-quarter revenue guidance of roughly $800 million, a decline of 7.5 percent year over year, “horrific,” sees even more going on there.
“For 4Q Roku’s guidance implies not only a [year over year] material decline, but an almost unheard of sequential decline in platform revenue into what is normally by far the most robust advertising quarter of the year (boosted this year by political) and this is despite all the viewing momentum in streaming TV,” wrote analyst Jeff Wlodarczak. “Our view is the TV/digital ad backdrop is not great, but there appears to be something specific going on at ROKU that seems to have significantly exacerbated the problem.”
Wlodarczak said Pivotal’s “best guess” is that the company’s stronger historic results, due to COVID-19 lockdowns and an “overreliance” on digital advertising, among other factors, created difficult year-over-year comparisons, which were only made worse by the weakness in the ad market. Additionally, he noted that “ROKU management frankly may have overplayed their hand with large advertisers/media companies.” Pivotal cut their price target to $40 from $60 and maintained a hold rating.
While noting that this quarter “puts ROKU into the investor penalty box,” where it will stay for some time, Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall said he believes the low guidance implies “a lot of deferral activity” for Roku in the ad market. Close to two-thirds of the company’s platform revenue is exposed to the scatter market, which is exacerbating the hit, alongside the company’s high fixed cost structure and high operating expenses.
Alongside the lowered guidance, many analysts said that there’s an overall lack of visibility into the company’s trajectory and into what has propped up the stock thus far.
Wells Fargo analysts cut Roku’s price target to $45 from $64, leaving its equal weight rating unchanged, saying that they had “overestimated” the company’s ability to slow overhead growth — a promise the company had previously made —and noting that it’s challenging to value Roku within the connected TV space, in which the analysts don’t believe “there’s great product differentiation.”
Guggenheim downgraded Roku to neutral from buy and removed its price target.
“We lack visibility into key business drivers including advertising revenue trends (let alone types of ad revenue), international growth, specific investment goals, and long-term profitability objectives,” wrote Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris.
The analysts still believe in “the long-term opportunity for CTV” and see value in Roku’s active account base and operating assets. They also believe that Roku will likely beat its fourth-quarter guidance, as it did in the third quarter. But the environmental factors, in addition to the company’s “likely intent to increase spending if cyclical conditions improve” hold them back on the stock.
While calling Roku, “a business school case study of both the benefits and downsides of obfuscating core parts of one’s business,” MoffettNathanson analysts wrote the company’s lack of disclosure around its growth strategy is now coming back to bite bullish investors.
“With little to go on beyond a wide-spread narrative that this was a company of the future in an industry of the future, many investors and analysts acted as Roku likely hoped and simply clicked-and-dragged-right, propping up the stock for far longer than they might have if the company been more forthcoming that much of the growth had come from significant and unsustainable revenue from new streaming entrants,” wrote analyst Michael Nathanson.
MoffettNathanson, which has an underperform rating on the stock, lowered their price target to $38 from $44.
Still, there were notes of optimism among the analyst community.
While saying that Roku has faced “unpalatable losses” and “is likely dead money over the next two quarters at least,” Wedbush analysts continue to believe in the long-term trajectory of the company, as well as its commitment to pullback on hiring to stem some of the losses. This comes even as they say Roku has likely been set back at least a year on its growth plan.
“Once macroeconomic trends improve, we think there is still significant runway ahead for shifting ad dollars from linear TV to digital, and Roku is poised to take a meaningful and growing share of this shift,” wrote Wedbush’s Michael Pachter, who reiterated his outperform rating for the stock and maintained his $75 price target.
Oppenheimer analysts also believe in the outsize potential of new hire Charlie Collier, the former Fox executive who joined Roku in October to lead its advertising and content business. They believe Collier will be able to move Roku further away from the scatter market, which has been heavily impacted by macroeconomic trends, and toward third-party automated advertising.
Wedbush maintained an outperform rating but reduced its price target to $58 from $80.
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Before he left for Tesla, Field and Mansfield in the Mac hardware engineering department, but Mansfield is now in charge of the driverless car project. While Apple wouldn’t say what Field would be working on next, it only makes sense he’s back for Project Titan, Gruber notes.
“It’s an interesting hire, primarily because it suggests to me that Apple still has an interest in making actual vehicles, despite reports that the company has scaled back the project to merely make autonomous systems for inclusion in vehicles made by other companies,” the Apple expert points out.
“Apple’s modus operandi has always been to make the whole widget. Apple makes products, not components. Field returning to Apple also suggests to me that under Mansfield’s leadership, the Titan project has regained its footing after its infamously rocky start,” Gruber adds.
Field was with Tesla since 2013. In May this year, he went on leave after the company failed to meet the initial first-quarter goal for the Model 3, and CEO Elon Musk took over his responsibilities. At the same time, Musk struggled to convince everyone that Field was still in the picture, tweeting that he was only away temporarily.
In June this year, Field’s departure from Tesla was officially confirmed. It seems that he’ll be taking his driverless car expertise over to Apple, joining the project that reportedly lists about 5,000 Apple specialists.


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Nordstrom plans to open 10 discount outlets this year
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- Greg Lamm
- Staff Writer
A year ago, Nordstrom’s plan for store growth in 2009 included opening five full-line department stores along with two discount Rack stores.
But that was before the bottom fell out of the economy. Now the Seattle-based retailer that caters to an upscale clientele is banking on its discount Rack stores to help it drive sales. In 2009, Nordstrom plans to open 10 discount Rack stores, out of 13 new stores overall.
The emphasis on opening more Racks is part of Nordstrom’s strategy to navigate a serious economic downturn that has erased jobs and personal wealth, and eroded consumer confidence. Nordstrom executives say it makes sense to emphasize value and savings, even for a company that prides itself on its customer service and caters to shoppers looking for designer and luxury clothing, shoes and cosmetics.
“We are still focused on the same loyal Nordstrom core customer, but many have different needs than they did last year. They are shopping less and are making more deliberate purchases,” President Blake Nordstrom told analysts in November.
Blake Nordstrom said the company was offering more bonus points and rewards for frequent shoppers. Nordstrom also was sharpening prices and passing on more savings to customers. For example, it lowered prices by an average of 22 percent on hundreds of the most popular styles in Nordstrom’s full-line department stores.
But Nordstrom also is mindful of the draw of its discount Rack stores, which make up a third of the company’s stores in 28 states.
For 2008, sales at full-line Nordstrom stores open a year or more dropped 12.4 percent on a year-over-year comparison. Meanwhile, comparative store sales at Nordstrom Rack stores were up 3 percent for the year.
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NEARLY a billion bottles of French and Italian wine are to be turned into disinfectant and bio-fuels because no one is prepared to buy and drink them. And the reason?
British drinkers would rather buy Australian. Says Annabel Crabb (London) in the June 11 edition of The Age.
And if you look at what has been happening in Ireland since 1990 you can see how the French and Italians have been suffering while Australia has risen to the top in case sales and market share in 2004.


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GENEVA — IATA has issued a warning about a fraudulent email campaign targeting travel agents in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
As if agents don’t have enough to deal with right now, emails asking for ‘COVID-19 caution fees’ are landing in travel agency email inboxes, purportedly sent by ‘email@example.com’.
It’s been going on all month and has become a “substantial phishing campaign”, says IATA in a notice posted on its travel agent portal.
“For the month of April, a substantial phishing campaign targeted many stakeholders, using the fraudulent email ‘firstname.lastname@example.org’,
“Be aware and report any communications from this email. This phishing campaign is requesting the settlement of “COVID-19 caution fees”. Be aware that it is NOT a legitimate request coming from IATA.
At the site IATA has a list of the most common domains used for fraudulent IATA emails. “Please note that IATA never communicates via these domains: @gmx.com, @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com, @iname.com, @accountant.com, @gmail.com, @mail.com, @aol.com, @live.com, @usa.com, or @outlook.com. You should assume all emails sent from those domains and purporting to be from IATA are fraudulent.”
IATA adds that it accepts and appreciates reports of any fraudulent emails, even from domains that are already on the list.
Agents who are unsure whether the email they received is a genuine email sent by IATA can contact fraud.reporting@iata.


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It’s truly disturbing when doctors come up with seemingly fad diets that could prove dangerous, but that appears to be happening all the time and most of them are also pretty successful. The latest to join the trend is an American doctor who is providing a drastic and quick weight-loss method, the K-E Diet. It involves putting food into your body through the nose, using a dripping tube.
The K-E diet stands for Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition diet and is the work of Dr. Oliver di Pietro, from Florida. He promises to help anyone shed 20 lb in as little as 10 days. As a part of the diet, dieters have to get a small nasogastric tube inserted into their nose going all the way to the stomach, through which a liquid solution drips constantly. The solution supposedly contains a mix of protein, fat and water and makes up 800 calories. A few hours of this and a process called ketosis is said to be triggered, which burns body fat due to the lack of carbohydrates. The fat is burned but the muscle and water in the body remain untouched. Dieters who want to achieve the best results aren’t supposed to eat anything for a period of 10 days and also have to carry around the bag of nutritious fluid everywhere they go.
What about hunger? Dr. Di Pietro has an answer for that, “Within a few hours, your hunger and appetite go away completely, so patients are actually not hungry for the whole 10 days. That’s what so amazing about this diet.” I’d also like to add that that’s what so unnatural about this diet. Aren’t hunger and appetite a part of a normal, healthy person’s life? But the doctor seems unfazed by such thoughts. He’s very happy with the results the K-E diet has brought about. “Patients typically burn around 2 pounds of fat per day. In every 100,000 patients I treated in Europe, nearly every one lost 20 lbs in 10 days. It’s absolutely painless – the stage of ketosis causes no pain. In fact, during the ketosis stage you feel no hunger and have a suppressed appetite.” Of course, after the diet is completed one needs to continue on a low carb diet to maintain the loss, he points out. So far, the diet has become very popular among brides-to-be, who are desperate to lose all those extra pounds before their big day.
Naturally, the K-E diet has got a few people concerned over the health hazard that it poses. According to nutritionist Suzy Weems, from Baylor University, eating through the nose could certainly cause long-term health damage. “It seems very extreme because of its potential for infections and irritations. It seems to be illogical to do this for one fairy-tale day when most brides have plenty of time before their wedding to lose weight the healthy way. The long-term solution to maintain a good weight is to eat right and exercise,” she says. Dr. Di Pietro does accept that there are some side effects to the diet, minor ones such as bad breath and constipation because there is no fiber in the food, but I suppose being constipated for 10 days is worth it if it means being able to slip into that dream dress on the wedding day.
Jessica Schnaider has tried it for her upcoming June wedding because she was desperate for a quick fix. But even though she was not hungry, she says the diet was by no means easy. “It was emotionally difficult, the 10 days of not eating. And I had to give excuses to people who were asking me if I was sick.” Jessica had to compliment the diet with a half hour of walking every day, but she was too tired to do that, which isn’t surprising in the least.
At $1,500 per 10 days the K-E diet sure is expensive, but the doctor says the before and after pictures talk for themselves about the results. Would you spend that much to lose weight and probably put your health at risk?
via Huffington Post


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The new openings reinforce Hyatt’s commitment to reach China’s underserved upper-midscale segment and strategically grow the Hyatt brand in China.
|UrCove Shanghai Jing’an|
Hyatt together with its partners and affiliates have opened its first five properties – UrCove Shanghai Jing’an, UrCove Shanghai Lujiazui EXPO, UrCove Shanghai Wujiaochang, UrCove Chengdu City Centre and UrCove Nanjing South Railway Station.
These new additions to Hyatt’s portfolio in these popular destination cities in China aim to better serve the highly mobile travellers in the upper-mid segment. This will further help to demonstrate the hotel groups commitment to achieve meaningful growth in the region.
“China remains a priority market for Hyatt’s growth, and we are committed to unlocking the huge potential of the country’s emerging middle class and growing domestic travel trends,” said Stephen Ho, president of growth and operations, Asia Pacific, Hyatt. “UrCove hotels cater to the underserved premium upper-midscale segment and with five UrCove hotels open in the major gateway cities of Shanghai, Chengdu and Nanjing, the brand is more accessible for this large, attractive and growing customer base."


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Big Bob's Flooring Outlet is celebrating the opening of its newest flooring outlet, located in Independence, Mo.
With over 30 years in retail business under their belts, brothers David "Big Bob" and Adam Elyachar of Big Bob's Flooring Outlet in Kansas City, Mo., are gearing up for the next 30 years. A family founded and run business, it today includes David, Adam, Bradley Cotlar and David's sons Joseph and Michael Elyachar, as the directors and management of the company. As a testament to the company's longevity, they are unrolling their new Flooring Galleria concept at their newest location in Independence.
"Our newest store shows style, design and fashion inside of a floor covering showroom that still boasts value, service and the lowest prices in town," said Adam who is president of the retail operation.
David, founder, added, "This prototype is just the beginning. Within the next months and years, we are planning to expand throughout the Kansas City metroplex with these beautiful showrooms."
Cotlar, senior vice president and COO, explained how this newest Flooring Galleria will be the Flagship store and first of many Big Bob's locations in Kansas City. "We have a strategic plan in place for the next 30 years to carry on the legacy that was founded on service, selection and value. Our plans include taking this new model and stamping it out throughout the metropolitan area."
Vinnie Virga, co-CEO of Big Bob's Flooring Outlet of America, the national franchise company added, "This new concept store is the result of what can happen when you have an impeccable reputation and deliver the best value and service. Anyone can go there to get acquainted with the latest trends, materials and most vast selection of flooring in-house."
Customers are invited to attend the official ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on June 2 at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. along with refreshments, special discounts and incentives that will be offered throughout the day for all attendees.
The store is located at 17801 East 39th St. Independence, Mo.
For more information, visit BigBobsOutlet.com.


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Grolsch has saved over 75 million litres of water in the past year (Translation)
18 August 2010
Grolsch beer brewery in Enschede is among the most environmentally friendly beer breweries in the world. Sustainable and Responsible Business (SRB) is therefore one of our top priorities. In the past year, Grolsch has made an active contribution towards a sustainable living environment. The total water usage of the brewery was lowered by 75.9 million litres. This is equal to the average annual water usage of 700 households. Today Grolsch published the results of its Sustainable and Responsible Business practises of the past year on www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl.
The Netherlands do not - as many other countries in the world do - have the problem of a structural water shortage. But that doesn't mean we should not treat water in an economical manner. Grolsch has chosen to lower its water usage even more. Grolsch aims to save 35 percent more water in 2015 than in 2008. In the past year, its total water usage was lowered by seven percent, which translates to 75.9 million litres. This is equal to the average total annual usage of 700 households.
Four spearheads: alcohol, water, packaging and energy & CO2
In order to conduct business in a sustainable and responsible manner, Grolsch uses the sustainability strategy ‘Ten Priorities. One Future.' of its mother organisation, SABMiller. In doing so, Grolsch has chosen four spearheads. Aside from lowering its water usage, Grolsch has also devoted itself to promoting responsible alcohol consumption, lowering its energy consumption and CO2 emissions and the reduction and recycling of packaging materials.
In the results that Grolsch has published today, the developments of the past year are evident for all four spearheads. Grolsch has provided training for all its commercial employees and marketing agencies regarding the stricter alcohol codes that all of its statements need to meet. In addition, last year's energy consumption was reduced by ten percent, which equals the average annual consumption of 400 households when it comes to natural gas, and 500 households when it comes to electricity. Research into the area of packaging reduction has resulted in an annual reduction of 100,000 kilos of cardboard.
This SABMiller subsidiary news release has been translated from its local market language to English language for publication on www.sabmiller.com. We have attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original material but due to the difficulties of translation slight differences may exist.
Note, the news release was first published in its local market on [18/08/2010].


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In his Daily Market Notes report to investors, while commenting on tech stocks, Louis Navellier wrote:
Our survey this week showed that a majority of investors believe inflation will be a significant headwind for the markets by year-end.
This is a notable difference from our survey in August where 24% of investors thought inflation was "transitory." Janet Yellen’s most recent comments on the matter did a little to allay fears. Inflation may be the only thing standing in the way of a year-end rally.
Growth stocks, as well as dividend growth stocks, are historically your best defense against rising inflation. Interest rates are also falling despite all the taper concerns.
Tech Stocks Save The Day
The US 30 year fell below 2% today, dropping over 9 basis points. The 10-year yield dropped 5 basis points. The US Treasury had a very strong 5-year auction today as well. What can explain this move in the face of apparent inflation trends and near term expectation of the beginning of tapering of open market purchases by the Fed? The outstanding performance of tech stocks in general and FANG stocks in particular this earnings season. Tech innovation succeeds in a big way by cutting costs from existing methodologies, along with adding new sources of revenues and profits.
The unprecedented rise of technology in the current decade has resulted in very subdued inflation numbers. The massive government support payments and even bigger quantitative easing by the Fed in response to the Covid pandemic has brought concerns of the inflation risk of pumping so much liquidity into the economy. The spike in energy prices from reopening demand, logistics snafus in particular computer chips shortages, a spike in home prices from work at home demand, and labor dislocations were all feeding inflation expectations. These, however, are mostly short term reactions to the pandemic adjustments and recovery.
Investors have been reminded of the long term deflationary trends brought by technology changes by the remarkable continued strong growth of even the trillion dollar sized tech giants. Without a gap up in interest rates in the cards, equity valuations become even more reasonable, particularly growth stocks. There may be a bump in the road when the tapering actually begins, but long term trends win in the end and those appear to be on track for further gains in equities.
The Commerce Department on Wednesday reported that durable goods orders declined 0.4% in September, which was substantially better than economists’ expectations of a 1% decline. This was the first monthly decline in durable goods orders since last April and was largely caused by supply chain glitches and port bottlenecks. Durable goods orders for August were also revised lower to a 1.3% gain. Durable goods orders have risen for 15 of the past 17 months. So far this year, overall new orders for durable goods numbers are up 23.4%, but shipments are up only 13.6%, due to order backlogs from the supply chain glitches.
Heard & Notable
German city Frankfurt was found to have the highest risk of a housing bubble developing in a recent survey released by investment bank UBS. Other cities at high risk were Toronto, Hong Kong, Munich, Zurich, and Vancouver. New York City ranked 18th while San Francisco ranked 14th. Source: Statista


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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) -City leaders in Cape Girardeau will host a public hearing on “Cape vision 2040.” It’s a long-range plan to make cape a better place to live, work, shop and visit.
There’s just one thing resident, Brad Elfrink, would like to see done in Cape Girardeau.
“I know on the south end it gets a little bit violent, I’d like to see a solution to that. A little more peace in the community, maybe some community outreach,” he said.
Back in 2018 city leaders asked residents to take a poll, and now they want people to take a look at the Cape Vision 2040 plan, that is made up of their suggestions.
One of those suggestions adding more small businesses. Corner store owner Robert Gentry said it's vital.
“I think mom and pop businesses are really great, because with history in mind, mom and pop business is what made America. The small business, entrepreneurs who open shops on a nickel and dime,” Gentry said.
Gentry opened his shop 14 years ago, and he said more businesses would only improve the economy.
“It’s very good for Cape, because most of that money stays right here in Cape city and the county,” he said.
Melissa Wayne said she would like to see more accessibility for those with disabilities. “It’s always nice to just come to facilities where there are handicap accessible swings, and sidewalks. Where those who are in wheelchairs, have other means of mobility, are able to get around.”
City Planner, Ryan Shrimplin said, they are hoping citizens take this plan seriously, because the future depends on it.
“It’s important to plan ahead and look at the big picture. You know, we get so caught up in the day to day activities, and it’s important to step back and assess where we are as a community,” he said.


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While most people adore the new iPad, the inclusion of LTE is by far the tablet's most polarizing feature. The high-speed Long-Term Evolution network can push the ceiling of the new iPad to new heights, letting webpages, images and videos load at an incredible clip, but there are several downsides to the powerful network as well. Love it or hate it though, LTE in the new iPad is Apple's way of practicing for the iPhone 5.
Apple's History With LTE
The new iPad is the first iDevice to use the 4G LTE network, but analysts believe Apple wanted to include the high-speed network in the iPhone 4S, and failed. LTE features significantly higher download and upload speeds compared to 3G technologies, but previous implementations of LTE in smartphones tended to ravage battery life, which was a major complaint from users. If Apple wanted LTE in the iPhone 4S at the time, it would have been forced to increase the phone's thickness to accommodate a larger circuit board and a bigger battery. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a company earnings conference call in April 2011, said first-generation LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises.
The iPhone 4 PCB [printed circuit board] is already incredibly small, not leaving any room for an extra chip to enable LTE without shrinking the size of the battery, said Anand Shimpi, a chip expert and CEO of Anandtech.
Fortunately, Qualcomm recently unveiled the fifth iteration of its new chip, which supports TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, HSPA+, EV-DO, embedded GPS, and LTE on TDD and FDD networks worldwide. The chip works with Android and Windows 8 devices, and while the new iPad doesn't use this chip, there's a high degree of likelihood that this will be the same chip inside the iPhone 5.
The Drain of 4G LTE
Apple users get their first taste of LTE in the new iPad, but choosing this option is costly. Compared to the Wi-Fi-only iPad models that cost $499, $599 and $699, the 4G LTE versions cost $629 for 16 GB, $729 for 32 GB and $829 for 64 GB. Unfortunately, 4G LTE isn't a one-time payment; you will continue to pay for access to this network for as long as you own the iPad.
While 4G LTE connections produce a seamless browser and tablet experiences, new owners are learning that streaming data over the network is very costly. It may be fast at streaming video, but the reality is that data plans aren't designed to handle so much bandwidth.
AT&T offers 250 MB of data for $14.99 a month, 3 GB for $30 a month, and 5 GB for $50 a month. Similarly, Verizon Wireless offers 1 GB of data for $20 a month, 2 GB for $30 a month, 5 GB for $50 a month, and 10 GB for $80 a month. If this wasn't expensive enough, owners get charged an additional amount -- between $10 and $20 -- for each gigabyte that exceeds the user's monthly cap.
In a profile by The Wall Street Journal, many AT&T and Verizon customers came forward with their stories of how the new iPad shot through their data plans.
Brandon Wells got the new iPad last Friday, started wirelessly streaming March Madness games the next day and by Saturday night was out of gas, The Wall Street Journal reported. Two hours of college basketball-which he viewed mounted to his car dashboard and live at tournament games-had burned through his monthly wireless data allotment of two gigabytes.
The reason LTE is so expensive? For the exact same content, LTE uses twice the amount of data as 3G networks.
Verizon estimates that streaming [regular video] over an LTE connection runs through 650 megabytes an hour, The Journal said. That's double the amount of data used streaming the same video over a 3G link, because the fatter pipe lets more data through. On top of that, the new iPad's sharper screen will encourage some users to view videos in high-definition, which uses 2 gigabytes an hour on a 4G connection, according to Verizon.
On The Bright Side
Apple wouldn't include the 4G LTE network if it couldn't deliver some great features. Besides being able to load pages and stream videos instantly, the 4G LTE iPad can also act as a personal hotspot, which can host up to five devices.
Shimpi discovered that the iPad actually excells as a MiFi hotspot:
Now for the killer. If you have an iPad on Verizon's LTE network and use it as a personal hotspot (not currently possible on the AT&T version), it will last you roughly 25.3 hours on a single charge, he said. Obviously that's with the display turned off, but with a 42.5Wh battery driving Qualcomm's MDM9600 you get tons of life out of the new iPad as a personal hotspot.
Given that battery life is an enormous concern issue -- the battery continues to drip even when it's plugged into a power source -- the fact that it will work as a Wi-Fi hotspot for 25+ hours is extremely encouraging. This means that other iDevices can leverage the high-speeds of the new iPad, which makes LTE slightly more worth it.
Why Apple Introduced LTE On The New iPad, and NOT The iPhone 5
So why didn't Apple wait until it released the iPhone 5 to introduce LTE? After all, compared to smartphones, tablets don't really need 4G LTE. But that's why the new iPad was the perfect device for Apple's LTE debut.
Imagine that Apple introduced LTE in the iPhone 5, and it failed for any number of reasons. It killed the battery life, it cost users too much on their data plans, the connections were too spotty ... any excuse will do. The company puts too much stock in the iPhone to let such a big smartphone feature like LTE fall on its face. Apple needed a practice run.
The new iPad was the perfect opportunity. While beautiful and improved over its predecessors, the tablet wasn't anything flashy or new. In fact, many new iPad owners will find that they are not impressed with the device, but that's only because the new iPad is so good at becoming invisible. Adding LTE would get users excited for a new feature, and would give Apple some experience with the new network before it was introduced on the company's breadwinner, the iPhone.
What Else To Expect In The iPhone 5
LTE is a foregone conclusion for the iPhone 5, but many other features in Apple's next-gen smartphone are a mystery, from the form factor to the guts to the software.
There are duelling reports about the iPhone 5's form, with one South Korean source saying the phone's screen will measure 4.6 inches, but another stating the iPhone will retain the same 3.5-inch screen as its predecessors. While it's confusing to think Apple would adopt the same big-screen mentality as its rivals like Samsung and Google, a source from within China's Foxconn plant told 9 to 5 Mac that various sample iPhone 5 prototypes were floating around the factory floor when Apple was gearing up to begin production on the iPhone 5 in January. The source added that there were a number of common features among the prototype phones, including a display that measured at least 4 inches, and a longer and wider form factor that did not match that of the iPhone 4 or 4S. The Foxconn sources believed the iPhone 5 would retain the rectangular shape of its predecessors, but Ciccarese is holding out hope for the thinner teardrop design.
Previous reports said the iPhone 5 will also feature an improved version of Siri, the voice-activated AI system that was only released as a beta in the iPhone 4S, as well as a bigger screen. In November, Hitachi and Sony reportedly began shipping 4-inch LCD panels for final production of new iOS devices believed to be the next-generation iPhone. Upgrading the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen to a 4-inch display would require a rebuilt Retina Display, but a bigger screen would help Apple compete against phone makers that make bigger screens, such as Samsung, while also providing a more immersive iPhone experience.
Before Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S on Oct. 4, the Internet was flooded with photos of a thin, large-screen iPhone 4. The photos were widely believed to be doctored until one Chinese site discovered mold engineerings of an iPhone 4 with a noticeably larger screen. The renderings depicted an edge-to-edge design for the iPhone's screen, which looked to measure about 3.7 inches. Component industry trackers believed that the images represented Apple's wish to compete with rival devices with bigger screens.
Apple's next iPhone may also include a number of the company's recently granted patents. Apple won a major patent on March 6 for a piece of technology called the iWallet, which is a digital system that gives users complete control over their subsidiary financial accounts on their iPhones, and also leverages Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology to complete credit card transactions directly on the phone as well. The iWallet has many different features, including giving users the ability to see their entire credit card profiles, view statements and messages from their banks, and even set parental controls for their children, should they also want to use their iPhones as digital wallets. Outside of the iPhone, users can keep track of their payments and statements within the iTunes billing system, which keeps credit card information and records safe and secure. There's a possibility that iWallet could also work with other Apple utilities, which could allow users to buy things like movie tickets directly within the apps, but only time will tell with that one.
The iPhone 5 might also be the first phone to feature a new piece of software for multi-player gaming. On March 15, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that describes asystem for multi-player gaming, which allows groups of people to play the same game together and even see it from different perspectives according to the device's physical relation to one another. The system actually mimics that of the Find My Friends app, in which a user's device detects other nearby devices that it recognizes as friends, and invites them to all join a common application. The unique technology also determines the relative position of those devices, so some games -- like turn-based role-playing games or card games -- can be played in a specific order.
The best patent of them all, however, may be Apple's patent for crack-resistant glass, granted on Nov. 15. Basically, the crack-resistant glass solution utilizes the same alumino silicate glass used in the iPhone 4 and 4S, but by chemically treating it with potassium and sodium ions, the glass can then achieve greater compression thresholds on the surface and edges of the glass, making it less susceptible to cracks. The patent also involves a shock mount between the glass and the body of the device that will instantly inflate if the device senses it's falling, which is determined by the device's internal accelerometer. An actuator within the device sucks in the cover glass as it accelerates to the ground, protecting it from damage.
If Apple waits until the fall to release the iPhone 5, it may unveil its next-gen smartphone alongside a smaller, 8-inch iPad, which is also expected to debut in October. The original report from Apple's Taiwanese supply chain was later confirmed by The Wall Street Journal, which said Apple is working on an 8-inch iPad.
On Jan. 24, Cook released Apple's record-breaking Q1 2012 earnings, announcing $46.33 billion in overall earnings, $13.1 billion in profit and $17.5 billion in cash for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, 2011. In the last 14 weeks of the year, Apple sold 37 million iPhones, 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs.
We're thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs, Cook said. Apple's momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.


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Singapore-Turkey FTA to come into force Oct 1, 2017: MTI
SINGAPORE and Turkey have ratified the Turkey-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (TRSFTA), and it will come into force on Oct 1, 2017, Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Monday.
The ratification of the agreement builds upon the strategic partnership signed between Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in October 2014.
MTI said that the TRSFTA will reduce barriers to trade and investment between Turkey and Singapore, enhance access to services sectors and procurement markets, as well as promote greater connectivity between businesses and people. Tariffs for Singapore's exports to Turkey on 80 per cent of all tariff lines will be eliminated immediately once the TRSFTA enters into force. This will increase to more than 95 per cent of all tariff lines over a period of 10 years.
It will also help more Singapore companies to leverage Turkey's trategic location as a gateway to the larger regional markets in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Turkish firms are also encouraged to use Singapore as their base to seek opportunities in the rapidly growing Asean region and beyond.


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Daniel Pinder - November update
“Well November has now drawn to a close and we’re on that run into the Christmas period, and a well earned break for most of us! It’s been another positive month promoting the Executive Hire Show and the Altrad Belle new products such as our patent-pending generators and pressure washers ....repeat I know :)
During my rounds they took me to Grant Plant in Maidenhead. Grant Plant are a long established main plant hirer and dealer, with Kubota and Altrad Belle to name just a few. They have added smaller equipment to complement their range not too long ago. A visit to the Executive Hire Show will be on the cards as this is a valuable opportunity to see new, innovative equipment.
Also with an extremely positive outlook and a regular visitor and supporter is Leigh Tholet of Hirebase. They are currently opening new hire divisions within existing branches of Buildbase, whilst also on new branch acquisitions. Hirebase have just taken on toilets as a hire asset and this shows their commitment to the industry and firm belief that the next months and years will prove to be robust.
All in all a really good time out meeting the passionate hirers – old, new and perspective!
Countdown to Christmas and Executive Hire Show continues getting ever closer……!”


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Meta Platforms delighted Wall Street after Mark Zuckerberg promised a “year of efficiency” in 2023 after Metaverse’s spending severely weighed on 2022 earnings.
Investors were also pleased when Meta announced a new $40 billion share buyback program that sent shares up nearly 19 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday, which if it occurs Thursday would total more than $75 billion -dollars to its existing market cap of $401 billion.
It comes after a tough 2022 for Meta, after struggling with a post-pandemic digital advertising slump and high spending that unsettled some investors.
Photo credit: Meta
In fact, Meta’s fourth-quarter and year-end results showed that its costs and expenses were up 23 percent in 2022 to $87.6 billion, compared to $71.2 billion in 2021.
If we take a closer look at the financials, Meta reported net income of $4.6 billion for the fourth quarter ended December 31, down 55 percent from its profit of $10.3 billion in the Previous year.
Fourth-quarter revenue also declined 4 percent to $32.1 billion compared to $33.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Full-year results also showed high spending in 2022.
Net income for 2022 fell 41 percent to $23.2 billion from $39.4 billion in 2021.
Revenue decreased 1 percent to $116.6 billion in 2022, from $117.9 billion in 2021.
“Our community continues to grow and I’m delighted with the strong engagement in our apps. Facebook just hit the milestone of 2 billion daily activities,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Meta.
Meta Ray-Ban Stories
“The advances we’re making with our AI discovery engine and Reels are important drivers of this,” said Zuckerberg. “In addition, our management theme for 2023 is the ‘Year of Efficiency’ and we are focused on becoming a stronger and more flexible organization.”
It’s important to remember that Zuckerberg announced in November that Meta would cut 13 percent of its workforce, or 11,000 employees, which should be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Zuckerberg had responded to concerns about Meta’s high spending on the Metaverse after investors pushed back. The shareholder Altimeter Capital Management had asked Meta to streamline operations through job cuts.
In October’s third-quarter results, Meta’s stock price plummeted after it was forecast to hit $10 billion in full-year 2022 due to Apple’s privacy changes that allow iPhone users to opt out of ad tracking across apps would lose advertising revenue.
Daily active Facebook users (DAUs) averaged 2 billion in December 2022, up 4 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Facebook monthly active users (MAUs) as of December 31, 2022 totaled 2.96 billion, up 2 percent year-on-year.
Meta noted that ad impressions and price per ad increased 23 percent year over year in the fourth quarter and average price per ad decreased 22 percent year over year.
For full year 2022, ad impressions increased 18% year-over-year and average price per ad decreased 16% year-over-year.
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Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while speaking during the question hour in Rajya Sabha recently, stated that the mandatory 6 airbags rule in cars will hurt the car buyer’s pocket, after questions were raised by some automakers on the price hike in the vehicles once the rule is implemented. Nitin Gadkari said each additional airbag will only cost Rs 800, which is bearable for customers who can afford cars. He said that the government has already made dual front airbags mandatory for all passenger vehicles sold in India.
For the safety of passengers at the rear seats in vehicles that can carry upto 8 people, the government will make 6 airbags rule mandatory by adding side and curtain airbags. This will add 4 more airbags to a vehicle, and as per the Minister, that will increase the cost by only few thousand rupees, that car buyers can afford. The new rule can be implemented as early as October 2022.
Earlier, budget automakers like Maruti Suzuki showed their lack of interest in implementing the proposal, staying that the norm will adversely hit the already shrinking small car market. The company said that the regulation would largely impact the cost-sensitive entry-level car segment — which has been facing headwinds and witnessing dwindling sales over the last three years — making it even more difficult for two-wheeler users to upgrade to small cars.
MSI Chairman RC Bhargava said the cost of the entry-level cars has already gone up considerably due to the implementation of various regulatory norms in the past few years, including the BSVI emission regime from April 1 2020.
With prices going up, the sales of small cars have been impacted especially in the non-metro markets across the country, the veteran industry leader noted. He cautioned that with the implementation of the six airbag regulation the prices will further go up leading to further shrinking of the domestic small car industry.
“So, the fear is that due to this (six airbags) the market will become smaller. The car manufacturing sector is important because it is a big creator of employment. When the car sells in the market it creates many jobs — drivers, maintenance, repairs, accessories etc,” Bhargava stated.
He further said: “If the car market does not grow like what has been happening in the last three years it will have an adverse effect on job creation and economic growth.” When asked how much the price of cars could go up due to the addition of airbags, Bhargava said: “I am not sure but it could be in the range of Rs 20,000-25,000, which for a small car buyer is a lot of money.”
He noted that there were not many countries across the globe, which may have implemented such a regulation. “I think, we will be among the first countries to do that…So we in the industry think that it is not the right time to bring six airbag regulations. We would like the government to reconsider this matter,” Bhargava said.
He noted that with a hit on the affordability factor, small car offtake is shrinking in the smaller cities, towns and rural areas while the market for expensive cars in urban centres was going up across the country. MSI is the dominant player in the hatchback segment with a market share of over 70 percent. It sells models like Alto, S-Presso, and Celerio, among others, in the vertical.


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The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its proposed rule for a National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (“NBFDS”). When finalized, this rule will create a nationwide labeling requirement for foods containing bioengineered ingredients. USDA is accepting comments on the proposed regulation until July 3, 2018.
The USDA’s proposed rule would require a disclosure on certain food products indicating that they are or contain a “bioengineered food.” If this terminology is unfamiliar to you, you are not alone — it represents a significant shift in how we describe foods and ingredients produced through the use of genetic engineering. “Genetically Engineered, ”“Genetically Modified,” and “GMO” are common parlance. The proposed standard would omit these commonly used phrases in favor of a more scientifically accurate but far less familiar designation: “bioengineered food” or “BE” for short.


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Tulman fashioned a jewelry box with a hidden compartment in the bottom that conceals any number of items, and was developed initially to hide her sex toys from her younger kids. Though it’s a mainstream product, Tulman decided to take her prototype to several adult businesses to see if they saw the same potential that she and her business partner did.
First she brought the ToiBocks to several inhome toy parties and did some focus group testing, and learned that one of the main reasons women hesitated to own a toy was for fear of their children discovering it. Tulman and her partner, Trish, knew right then their brand’s slogan would be, “The Ultimate in Discreet Storage.”
Next, Tulman did some research to determine which retail stores around the country had customer demographics that fit the ToiBocks’.
“It’s critical to find out what kind of stores they are,” Tulman said. “I typically call and ask what the average price points of their products are. If it’s a $20 to $40 store, there’s no way they’ll stock the ToiBocks.”
After speaking to a rep at national retail chain The Pleasure Chest, she brought her prototype to the Los Angeles location and, after checking it out, the manager at the time ordered a dozen, despite knowing that they wouldn’t be ready for shipping for another seven months.
“For him, it was nice to get a unique product,” Tulman said. “A lot of the stuff on the market is merely a variation of what’s already out there.” Next, Tulman hit Good Vibrations, Stockroom.com and Hustler Hollywood — whose retail order is the largest she’s filled so far — and now is testing in the Mercer Street location of Babeland in New York City.
“To us, it was important that we hit the best stores first, at least to let them know who we were and what we were doing,” Tulman said. “Everything I’ve done has been on the phone, via email or by sending samples. We charge for samples; we can’t afford to send them out for free. We send them with an invoice and return label, so they can return it if they don’t want to take it.”
Tulman also touted the importance of social networking and trade press buzz, and that without the slew of reviews, write-ups and blog posts discussing her flagship product, she wouldn’t have gotten the responses and attention she did.
“The acclaim is critical,” Tulman said. “You have to have people saying they like the product, like on blogs and in magazines. We were in High Times in February — the more people you have saying, ‘Yes, it’s worth it,’ the more inclined a store is to stock it.”
Tulman includes excerpts from trade and mainstream write-ups at the end of her email signature when sending sales correspondence for an added “punch,” and also uploads each one to her mainstream website for both consumers and buyers to find when doing product research.
ToiBocks brand products — the company now has several storage options in its lineup — is now in more than 50 stores spanning 19 states.


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Up to 200 extra staff are being recruited at Warrington’s main shopping centre to cope with the expected Christmas rush.
Store managers at Golden Square Shopping Centre are now taking on the seasonal workers – with Debenhams already starting to stock festive goods and food, as shoppers seek to spread the cost of Christmas.
The centre, where more than 5,000 people work full and part-time, welcomes a million shoppers a month to its 140 stores and Golden Square Director Ian Cox is expecting that figure to rise in the coming weeks.
The busy spell kicks off with Black Friday on November 29, when Golden Square will be offering free parking, with stores open from 8am until 8pm to cope with the expected rush for shoppers eager to pick up bargains.
The increase in visitors continue to rise in the run-up to Christmas, then peaks in the last week of festive shopping and during the New Year sales.
A number of the seasonal staff could also be offered permanent jobs in the New Year, say retailers.


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South Korea's industrial standardization bureau said Wednesday it is mulling over an investigation into Apple Inc.'s iPhone handsets, which randomly shut down despite battery remaining.
The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) said it is looking into the matter as the iPhone 6S battery problem could potentially be a safety issue, like Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, which underwent a global recall over a safety risk.
"The agency is well aware of recent iPhone issues and is taking a close look at it," said a KATS official not to be named.
Apple earlier said iPhone 6S devices that were manufactured between September and October 2015 showed battery malfunctions, adding that it will replace the battery for free.
However, there are media reports in China that other iPhone 6 smartphones also power off randomly with battery remaining for no apparent reason.
Also, a Chinese consumer watchdog reported several users have claimed that their handsets caught fire or exploded.
"However, this does not mean that an investigation was launched," the official said, adding everything is under review.
The agency, which has a right to order a national recall, said it is in talks with Apple Korea, the local unit of Apple.
Apple said "a very small number" of iPhone 6S devices malfunctioned and that the shutdowns did not constitute a safety issue.
Apple, which immediately launched a battery-exchange program in China, came under fire in South Korea for a belated response, which included initially notifying users about the program in English. (Yonhap)


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Pork producer margins declined $1 per head last week, with margins now a positive $2.54 per hog marketed, according to the Sterling Pork Profit Tracker. Negotiated cash hog prices declined $0.05 per hundredweight last week to $91.36. Pork packer margins improved $7.67 per head for the week, resulting in losses of $6.90 per head, according to estimates developed by Sterling Marketing, Inc., Vale, Ore.
Profit margins for beef packers improved significantly last week, thanks to higher wholesale beef prices. Cattle feeding margins improved $9 per head for the week, but average feeding losses still exceed $94 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. Beef packers saw their margins improve nearly $50 per head, with average profits now exceeding $69 per head. The Sterling Beef Profit Quotient improved 41 points for the week and the industry profitability index is now negative 266.4.
A year ago cattle feeders sold cash cattle at $122.72 per hundredweight, resulting in losses of $17.40 per head. Last year cash hogs fetched $84.27 per hundredweight, resulting in profits of $7.49 per head.
The Sterling Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are calculated using actual weekly prices for both cattle and hogs, feed costs, beef and pork cutout prices, drop credits and other factors that influence profit margins.
The Sterling Pork Profit Tracker for the week ending May 17:
- Average farrow-to-finish margins: $2.54 per head.
- Average pork packer margins: -$6.90 per head.
The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker for the week ending May 18:
- Average feedyard margins: -$94.29 per head.
- Average packer margins: $69.50 per head.
- Sterling Profit Quotient: -266.4.
The Sterling Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are produced by Sterling Marketing Inc. and John Nalivka, president, Vale, Ore., and are published weekly by Drovers/CattleNetwork, and PorkNetwork.


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W H Smith supports Asda's Kobo move
07.12.11 | Lisa Campbell
W H Smith has backed rival retailer Asda's move to join WHS in selling Kobo e-readers.
The Bookseller revealed yesterday that the supermarket chain would begin selling the Kobo wireless e-reader for £67 and the touchscreen Kobo for £107 this Friday (9th December).
Asda's price for the wireless Kobo compares favourably with that currently being offered by W H Smith, which is charging £89.99 for the wireless model and £109.99 for the Touch. WHS also sells the latest Kobo, the colour model Vox, which will not be stocked by Asda.
A spokesperson for WHS said: "We are very supportive of Kobo extending their UK retail presence, which will help them to establish themselves as a major UK brand."
WHS' deal, announced in October, also means Kobo's e-books will be sold through its website, with the high street bookseller receiving a cut of every book sold.
Tesco, rival supermarket to Asda, sells Amazon's Kindle e-readers.


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The Kremlin mass media and z-Telegram channels spread information that Ukrainian online stores started selling bonfire marshmallow scented candles with the label "House of Trade Unions" ahead of May 2.
As "proof", the propagandists cite a screenshot allegedly taken from the website of an online store where candles with patriotic slogans are sold, including a candle labeled "House of Trade Unions".
However, this is a fake photo. Counterfeiters found a candle stock photo on Rawpixel website for free and simply replaced the words on its label in Photoshop.
In both pictures, we see the same inscriptions in the middle of the label and the reflections of the light on the candle.
By creating such fakes, Russia continues to promote the narrative about the so-called "Odesa Katyn" and the "capture" of Ukraine "by nationalists" who "kill Russian speakers". The Kremlin has been using the events that took place in Odesa city on May 2, 2014 to justify its aggression against Ukraine for nine years already.
The main suspects in the tragedy of May 2, 2014 in Odesa are former police chief in charge of public security Dmytro Fuchedzhi and head of the local Emergency Service department Volodymyr Bodelan. Both fled and now hide in Crimea, temporarily occupied by Russia.
Earlier, Russian propaganda tried to present American Easter jokes on social networks as the "economic crisis" in the USA.


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This utility will look a lot different.
Not surprisingly, technology is where it's at today.
There's money to be made in energy storage.
There's one big reason to buy shares of the casino operator.
Retail locations are still the heart of its strategy.
2019 has been a great year for solar stocks.
Every company in gambling has its eyes on sports wagering in the U.S.
A new wireless feature is set to hit the streets later this month.
There's only one king in home improvement.
One of these companies has a lot more growth ahead than the other.
Homeowners are beginning to have the option of buying energy services rather than energy assets themselves.
A simple-to-use online sales tool is finally available in the solar industry.
Volatility has hit solar stocks today.
Consumer staples are changing, and it's time P&G changes, too.
Some leaders are emerging in the solar industry.
The popular sports bar may be the first place we see widespread sports betting in the U.S.
Macao may not be as strong in 2019 as investors hoped.
Mission-critical software-as-a-service is a good business to be in these days.
There are value stocks that may be staring you straight in the face.
Investors don't have a lot of faith in the action camera company's future.


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Foley Inc., the Caterpillar dealer in Northern, N.J., Staten Island, N.Y., and Bermuda, has announced that Neptune Auto Supply has celebrated its one-year anniversary as a Caterpillar hose reseller.
Neptune Auto Supply, located at 51 TFH Plaza at the corner of 3rd and Union Avenue in Neptune City, N.J., is a family-owned and operated business since 1988 and is Monmouth County’s largest hydraulic hose manufacturing and repair facility. It added Caterpillar brand hoses and fittings to its full machine shop service in October 2005.
For more information, call 800/379-AUTO.
Today's top stories


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China intensifies screening of imported food! The United States, Australia and other 6 countries collectively opposed:no scientific basis
This article is an original article of”Golden Ten Data”. Reprinting without permission is prohibited and offenders must be investigated.
During the spread of overseas epidemics, as the world’s largest food importer, my country has repeatedly imported frozen food from Brazil’s frozen chicken wings, vannamei shrimp, Indonesian hairtail, and Argentine pork. new coronavirus was detected on the outer packaging. In this case, China has also taken actions to stop the possibility of the spread of the virus from the source in time and raise the inspection level of imported food. Unexpectedly, food exporters from various countries complained.
China is stepping up efforts to screen imported food! 6State collective opposition
According to a British media report on November 17, Canadian representatives declared at a recent meeting of the World Trade Organization that China’s critical nucleic acid tests on imported foods and rejection of positive results are”unreasonable trade restrictions.” , Believes that China’s measures have no scientific basis, and urges China to stop such actions.
The report pointed out that the United States, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom all expressed support for Canada’s views , The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also stated:”There is no evidence that the infection of the new coronavirus is related to food.”
It should be noted that, judging from the epidemic data, the current epidemic prevention situation in these six countries is still severe. Especially in the United States and Brazil, 11Month16On Day, World Health Organization Director-General Tan Desai also criticized the two countries by name. , Said that the epidemic in European and American countries is extremely worrying, and those countries that allow the virus to spread are simply playing with fire.
Subsequently, China also responded to the above-mentioned Canadian statement, saying This measure is a “temporary action based on scientific evidence” and aims to “protect people’s lives to the greatest extent.” It also exemplifies the detection and isolation of live viruses in positive samples of frozen cod imported from Qingdao, China, and confirmed exposure to the new crown Outer packaging contaminated with live virus can cause infection.
Moreover, coronavirus families are generally not afraid of freezing. Many coronaviruses can Survival in a frozen environment2years, and survive for one month under 4degree cold storage conditions.
Even though the World Health Organization and the United StatesCDC, US FDA, EU CDC and other institutions have shown that the new coronary pneumonia is not a food-borne disease and will not be spread through food, so far there has been no Cases of consumer infections due to contact with contaminated cold chain seafood have been found, but there have been more than one cases of asymptomatic infections related to cold chain foods.
For this, including HuashanHospital Infection section, and Zhang Boli, president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, have both stated that the risk of imported cases caused by logistics is increasing, and prevention of people is also necessary.
China’s food imports have reached 5948 billion, which is expected to continue to grow!
Moreover, from two major moves in China Look, the above-mentioned conclusive”trade restrictions” of 6 countries including Canada are self-defeating.
First, the third China International Import Expo was held as scheduled and ended perfectly . At this CIIE, the scale of the food and agricultural products exhibition area has been further expanded-the exhibition area has increased from 60,000 square meters last year with two exhibition halls to 90,000 square meters with three exhibition halls this year, involving countries and regions Nearly a hundred and nearly a thousand overseas exhibitors, and many of them are exhibiting for the third time.
At the opening ceremony of the 3rd CIIE, China Chamber of Commerce for Food, Native Produce and Animal Import and Export The”Report on China’s Imported Food Industry in 2020″ was also released at the same time. The report shows that 2019The source of China’s imported food in 2020189 Annual import volume908.1US$billion (approximately 5948RMB 100 million), which is more than 2018Annual net growth172.4US$ billion, a growth rate of 23.4%.
Even during the epidemic, in the first three quarters of this year, China’s imports of food and agricultural products were US$124.4 billion , An increase of 13.3%, 16 percentage points higher than the overall increase in imports. It can be said that my country’s huge market of 1.4 billion consumers has played an important role in overcoming the impact of the epidemic and restoring economic growth for important agricultural product producers.
The report points out that the Chinese people’s optimism, tolerance, and growing The continued growth of the imported food market provides a solid guarantee, and it is expected that in 2020, imported food will continue to maintain double-digit growth.
Second, there is no “one size fits all” comprehensive “stop” in China”Imported frozen food. In addition to respecting international trade rules, it also stabilizes the balance between supply and demand in the domestic market and avoids chain-like increases in food prices. However, in order to ensure food safety, our country can only increase the intensity of imported food screening and spend a longer time checking the health and reliability of various imported frozen products.
If even the normal food quarantine has to be”pricked”, then only the international market The big food exporters on the Internet are too underestimating the new crown virus.
Text | Li Zepu Title | Ling Ming Picture | Rao Jianning Review | Liu Sulin


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Ford Motor Company F is in the middle of a very strong year, with its stock price up 35.1% YTD. This year has helped Ford recover from a very disappointing 2018, yet it has only regained about half of its losses so far.
Now, let’s see what investors should expect from this quarter’s earnings report and what growth opportunities Ford has in the future.
Ford, with a Q1 2019 market share of 14.6%, is second largest automaker in the U.S. market, trailing only General Motors’ GM 16.7%. The auto company currently offers 22 vehicles in the U.S., excluding commercial and limited release performance vehicles. The Ford F-Series pickup truck (F-150, F-250, F-350) has been the best-selling automobile in the U.S. since 1986, bringing in $41 billion in revenue for Ford in 2018. This makes the F-Series truck a more valuable brand by revenue than Nike NKE and Coca-Cola KO, says Jim Farley, head of global markets.
Ford and Volkswagen AG VWAGY announced last Friday an agreement that recognizes the need to improve driverless and electric vehicle technologies, and therefore agreed to split the workload, according to their respective strengths. Under the agreement, Volkswagen will invest $2.6 billion in cash and other resources into Ford’s self-driving startup, Argo AI. Meanwhile, Volkswagen will be able to use this tech for a variety of planned applications. And Ford will gain access to motors and batteries that Volkswagen has developed.
In consumer news, the American auto giant announced a recall last Tuesday on 60,000 Focus models due to a software issue that could lead to a deformed fuel tank. Recalls are always a blow to auto manufacturers because of the costs associated to fix the issues, not to mention the bad press. As a result, shares dropped about 1% after the announcement.
Ford’s revenues have been relatively stable in recent history, moving up and down the past 3 years, but never by more than 8%. Revenues this quarter are predicted to drop 2.9% from a year ago to $34.86 billion. However, revenue next quarter is projected to pop back up by 2.72%.
One of the reasons Ford is experiencing a revenue downtrend is because the overall U.S. market for automobiles in changing. In Q1 of this year, sales of cars under $20,000 were down 25% from last year, while sales of cars over $40,000 were up 7%. This means that Americans are buying more expensive cars this year so far, which is not good for Ford, as it is not a luxury manufacturer.
Earnings per share are projected to come in at $0.33 per share, a 22.22% increase over this quarter last year. This sounds like positive growth, but last year’s Q2 fell 51.8% from 2017 Q2 earnings. Full year EPS is projected at $1.38, a 6.15% increase from last year. Looking further back, this year’s projected EPS number is significantly lower than 2015-2017 EPS numbers.
Analysts raised their earnings estimates about 2 months ago, which was a good sign heading into earnings season. However, estimates have remained constant since then until they were lowered this week across the board.
Ford has outperformed the market YTD, while also strongly outperforming the domestic auto manufacturers. This group consists of companies like General Motors, Tesla TSLA, and Paccar PCAR.
Ford’s most recent earnings estimate revisions brought it down to a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) that it held earlier this week. When Ford’s quarterly report is released Wednesday the 24th after the market closes, the company may take another revenue hit this quarter due to lower demand for less expensive cars and a recall. But, with strong investment in the future of electric and driverless vehicles, keep an eye on future revenue estimates when these investments start to pay off.
More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!
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Europe’s carbon-intensive industries still reap excessive benefits from the carbon market, according to the NGO Carbon Market Watch. EURACTIV France reports.
The question of free carbon quota allocations has periodically made it onto the negotiation agenda since the EU launched the carbon market ten years ago, as a way to force 11,000 industrial sites to reduce their CO2 emissions. This is a particularly burning issue now, with the reform of the quota system currently under way.
While all quotas were initially free, this has changed: in theory, free quotas should now be the exception and auctioned sales the rule. But this does not take into account the intense lobbying of the sectors involved, which argue that their role as job creators and their position in Europe’s industrial fabric should entitle them to free quotas.
“Studies financed by lobby groups, like those behind the fertiliser industry, show that certain sectors must continue to obtain free quotas in order to remain competitive,” Carbon Market Watch stated.
€27 billion bonus
The carbon market entered its third phase in 2013, during which only industries genuinely exposed to the risk of delocalisation, a problem also known as “carbon leakage”, are entitled to free quotas.
But according to the NGO Carbon Market Watch, which commissioned an investigation on the subject by the expert group Delft, businesses can turn these free quotas into hard currency. Between 2008 and 2014, businesses cashed in €27 billion from free quotas.
If a company possesses too many quotas, they can sell them on the carbon market. And the existence of this market pushes up the price of the final product: the cost of the CO2 quotas necessary to produce one tonne of steel must be added to the cost of producing the steel itself. According to Delft, over a dozen industries benefit from this situation to make “undue profits”.
In total, the carbon-intensive industries have made an extra €15 billion of profit, thanks to the fact that the carbon market has bumped up the price of their products. France handed out 100 million surplus carbon quotas between 2008 and 2014, worth a total of €800 million, Delft reported.
France’s €10 billion gap
The surplus of quotas has brought enormous gains for the cement sector, including Lafarge. But it is steel company ArcelorMittal and oil refiner Total that are seen as the biggest winners of the system.
According to the experts’ calculations, the price increases associated with the carbon market have brought windfall profits for these companies: €862 for Bersillon, a branch of ArcelorMittal, €298 for Total and €176 million for Lafarge.
“The French government lost €10.4 billion in revenue, by giving away 866 million tonnes of quotas between 2008 and 2014,” the Delft study stated. The government collected €435 million by selling quotas over this period, half of which was invested in climate projects.


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December 6 2013 Latest news:
Thursday, October 17, 2013
A March businessman wants to let people know that he has nothing to do with the manager of a launderette which shut when the owner was charged with fraud and drugs offences.
Stewart Stevens, who runs Home Sweet Home pre-loved furniture, took over the lease from the Station Road premises landlord when Alek Sire closed his launderette and health centre business.
Sire shut after being charged with three charity frauds and possession with intent to supply drugs offences.
Sire is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates court on October 18.
Since setting up his furniture shop, Mr Stewart has had people coming in demanding money and in one case had to show a tenancy agreement to prove he was nothing to do with Sire.
Mr Stewart said: “He is nothing to do with me, I just happened to be the next person to rent those premises.”
Mr Stewart left the prison service three years ago and set up a second hand furnishings shop in Whittlesey with his brother.
He has now branched out on his own to set up his own store in March.
Home Sweet Home is open Monday to Saturday from 9.30 to 5.30. It has a late night opening to 7pm and is closed on Sunday.


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Parawave Audio releases Tropical Delight for Rapid Synthesizer
Parawave Audio has announced the release of Tropical Delight, a new "tropical house" sound extension for the RAPID Synthesizer that includes new wavetables, multi-samples, drum samples and presets, ready for sound design and music production.
- 131 Sound Presets.
- 39 Wavetables.
- 77 Multi-Samples.
- 114 Oneshot Drum Samples (44.1 kHz, Stereo, 16-bit WAV).
Additionally beside the normal sound presets, all melodies from the demo showcase are included as extra presets.


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words // Luis Sanchez
Likely one of the biggest releases scheduled for this month from Nike Basketball is the all new "Wolf" Zoom Kobe VII.
Coming as the latest installation in Kobe's "Predator" Pack, the Zoom Kobe VII is hit with a combination of grey, white, black and orange to accent the otherwise simple build. Wolf Grey builds most of the upper on them, while total orange handles the Swoosh, tongue branding and heel signature. Completing the look, we see black handling the external heel counter and midsole, while a white outsole sits below.
The "Wolf" Nike Zoom Kobe VII is scheduled to release March 16th at Nike Basketball retailers nationwide.


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Tuesday, August 02, 2016
By Kriti Gupta
Waiting period of Toyota Innova Crysta declines to two months
With petrol variant getting ready to launch sometimes during this month, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, the Indian arm of Japanese car maker Toyota Motors has succeed in managing the extending waiting period of its new MPV Innova Crysta launched almost three months back during the month of May 2016. Innova Crysta regarded as the refreshed version of Innova MPV witnessed encouraging response from Indian buyers since its launch. The success of MPV can be understood from the fact that within the short span of time its waiting period extended to three months, despite of recording 7,000 units sold after its launch.
But now there is some good news for the aspirants of Toyota Innova Crysta, as according to recent reports the waiting period of MPV has come down to two months. According to Mr. N. Raja, Director and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, TKM,"The Innova Crysta continues to grow and we would like to thank our customers for placing their faith in the brand and the product. Launched in May 2016, the Innova Crysta still has a waiting period of up to 2 months".
Flying on the sky of success, at present Toyota Innova Crysta is being offered only in diesel variant with two engine options of 2.4 litre and 2.8 litre mated with five speed manual gearbox and six speed automatic gearbox respectively. Launch of Innova Crysta has helped Japanese car maker to register an increase of 3 percent in its sales in the month of July as compared to sales during the same month last year.


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Category Archives: Cybercrime
Netflix theme continue to be used by scammers for compromising users and attacking more victims. Today malwarebyte have reported several cases for spoofed websites that are still up to trick users and have their sensitive information. the first case reported
New scam have been spotted by Bitdefeder labs that are circulating on Facebook and come to spread malwares. the link claims to be a video for Emma Watson and this is coming after the personal photo leakage incident on iCloud.
Snapchat database with more then 100 million users pictures and videos have been published by hackers. still not known the way that hackers have compromised the database but the first analyses shows that the leak was due to a third
Mobile devices may contain personal information and important details for users and this attract cyber-criminal to exploit vulnerabilities on smartphones and install their malwares. Armando Orozco on Malwarebytes have posted a new entry over this week that targets Android system.
Netflix is a cloud service that is widely used for watching movies online. over this week a new phishing compaign have been spotted by Malwarebytes that is targeting Netflix customer to grab sensitive information of subscribers. The phishing page is


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SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) - Singapore palm oil firm Wilmar
International Ltd reported a 23 percent rise in
first-quarter net profit on Wednesday, largely due to a recovery
in its oilseeds and grains segment.
The company also said the bird flu outbreak in China will
affect meal consumption in the short term but it remains
optimistic about the long-term prospects of the country.
Wilmar posted net profit of $315.4 million for the three
months ended March, up from $255.9 million a year earlier and
above the $291 million average estimate from four analysts
polled by Reuters.
While palm oil prices are likely to remain low, affecting
the plantation division's profitability, the declining price
trend is expected to benefit the downstream businesses, Wilmar
(Reporting by Eveline Danubrata; Editing by John O'Callaghan)


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State Police in Vermont said two are under arrest after swiping two pairs of Uggs brand boots from a shoe store in Rutland Town, Vermont.
Police said surveillance footage showed Candace Alberti, 33, of Rutland City, walking out of the store with two pairs of boots, then getting into a car with Paul Voight, 47, of Brandon, who sped away from the scene.
The latest news from around the state
Owner Gregory Fineberg told police he tried to stop the vehicle and was clipped by the mirror as the two drove out of the parking lot. He was not seriously injured.
The store posted several still photos from the footage on its Facebook page late last month, and police said they received multiple tips about the incident, leading to Sunday’s arrests.
Voight has been cited to appear in Rutland Superior Court on Feb. 22 for retail theft. Alberti was cited to appear Feb. 29 for retail theft. The boots were not yet recovered.
Police said they continue to investigate and that more charges may be pending.


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Despite the Xbox One being set to go head-to-head with the PS4 this November in the battle of the next-gen consoles, Microsoft has now stated that the continue support of the Xbox 360 remains one of its top priorities, with the aging gamer to continue until at least 2017.
Speaking at the Citi Global Technology conference he added: “We are going to continue to invest in Xbox 360 and the two devices can work in concert.”
What’s more, Mehdi has been quick to assure Xbox 360 owners not planning on making the jump to the One just yet that they will not be short of new content after the next-gen gamer arrives.
“It isn’t just like the day we ship Xbox One, Xbox 360 won’t work,” he said. “We will continue to support it. In fact, we are going to ship over 100 new games on Xbox 360, so you will still be able to play your games, just not on the same exact box.”
Earlier this year publisher EA offered its own reassurances to current-gen gamers, also confirming that it will continue to support both the Xbox 360 and PS3 until 2017.
“EA will continue to publish games for current-generation consoles through at least 2017,” EA CFO Blake Jorgensen stated in an interview.
Read More: Xbox One vs PS4


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An anonymous source has reached out to WhatIfGaming and has shared all the details from today’s upcoming Silent Hill announcement. They have shown us all the proof we need and can indeed confirm that the details shared are all the genuine article. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Silent Hill 2 Remake.
Silent Hill 2 Remake – Can’t unsend this letter
Silent Hill 2 was originally released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC back in 2001. It tells the story of James Sunderland being invited to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife, Mary.
An anonymous source has told us important information about today’s stream.
The first thing is confirmation of our previous news, about Silent Hill 2 being one of the games being revealed. They further share other important details along with it.
- It will be developed by Bloober Team, famous of The Medium, and the Layers of Fear series.
- The game will offer an over-the-shoulder camera view.
- We see the return Masahiro Ito, and Akira Yamaoka.
- The game will be a 12-month long PlayStation 5 Exclusive and also on PC. There is no release date, but the game will be available for wishlisting on the PlayStation Store after the reveal.
- The graphics have been described as ‘amazing’ and something that is truly next-gen.
We don’t know what are the plans of the title after the 12-month launch, but a PS5 and PC exclusivity sounds like what Sony has planned for incorporating PC as part of the release schedule for games going forward, and with a title like Silent Hill 2 Remake to start that partnership, it is indeed looking like a fruitful relationship.
We have no doubt about the authenticity of our source, so we highly recommend you get excited at the return of one of the most iconic entries in the series yet.


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Invidi Technologies on Tuesday was granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the delivery of addressable ads in a system in which set-top boxes or other end-user devices make ad-placement decisions.
U.S. Patent No. 8,065,703, "Reporting of User Equipment Selected Content Delivery," describes consumer-premises equipment sending signals to headend systems about targeted content, with assets inserted into the content stream based on that signaling and the CPE reporting on their delivery. Invidi applied for the patent on Aug. 25, 2006.
"When we move to what we consider true addressability, when you have decisions about what ads to run on a set-top-by-set-top basis, that's where this falls into play," Invidi president and CEO Dave Downey said in an interview.
According to Downey, the '703 patent builds on Invidi's existing patent portfolio covering key aspects of delivering targeted ads.
"We look at it as building a brick wall [of intellectual property]," Downey said. "The wall is about six feet high and there are very few places to peek through."
Invidi in May 2011 sued Visible World -- a competing provider of addressable-advertising solutions -- and Cablevision Systems, a Visible World customer, alleging they infringed U.S. Patent No. 5,661,516 titled "System and Method for Selectively Distributing Commercial Messages over a Communications Network," covering household targeting and addressing advertisements to a subscriber terminal based on household data associated with the terminal.
Downey said Invidi was not seeking royalty payments from Visible World or Cablevision: "It was more a point of asserting what we own."
Currently, Invidi has no patent-licensing deals apart from its customer engagements. "We don't have a licensing program. We had never contemplated doing that," Downey said. "We are not a patent-driven company; we are a software-driven company."
However, in a statement released in June 2010, Downey said that Invidi was "willing to consider license arrangements with other industry players under the right circumstances."
Invidi's targeted-advertising system is under contract for about 40 million homes with DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon Communications' FiOS TV. New York-based Invidi has received $111.5 million in funding from investors including DirecTV, Google, WPP's GroupM, Motorola Ventures, Experian, NBC, Verizon and venture capital firms Menlo Ventures, InterWest Partners, EnerTech Capital, Westbury Equity Partners and BDC Capital.
Other patents Invidi owns include U.S. Patent Nos. 7,730,509, "Asset Delivery Reporting in a Broadcast Network"; 7,698,236, "Fuzzy Logic Based Viewer Identification for Targeted Asset Delivery System"; and 7,546,619, "Voting and Headend Insertion Model for Targeting Content in a Broadcast Network."